Music maker Mary counting down day to album release

A ROYTON singer songwriter is counting down the days to the official launch of her debut album.And Mary Shanker will be playing tracks off Brand New Day at trendy Manchester cocktail bar Over Under to mark the occasion on Friday, September 27.

“I am really excited and happy with the way it has turned out,” said Mary, a former pupil at Crompton House School.

“It has been two years in the making but I have been able to put a lot of work and detail into the songs.

“And they have turned out exactly how imagined them to be,” added Mary who has previously released ‘I Just Need Time’ as her first single earlier this year.

The album features an eclectic collection of songs ranging in styles from pop, electronic, ambient and acoustic music.

Mary thought carefully about the track list for Brand New Day not only to ensure her first steps onto the scene are memorable but to ensure the listener is taken on a journey through love, self-acceptance and hope.

The opening track, Moving On, begins with the idea of moving on from past mistakes before Mary continues the journey, sharing advice, drawing from her personal experiences of loving someone but needing time for yourself, a theme she touched on during I Just Need Time.

The closing track, Sunny Day, is an empowering RnB track with aspects of a ballad that has potential to leave the listener feeling optimistic and fulfilled.

“My mum used to play piano up to grade eight and also taught at one point,” Mary told the Correspondent earlier this summer.

“For my sixth birthday she got me piano lessons and from then on I realised I was doing something I enjoyed.“I feel very lucky to be doing something I enjoy doing as a job,” added Mary, proficient on the flute and also a self-taught guitarist.

“When I first started gigging, it was difficult to take the piano round the pubs and clubs.

“I thought it might be a good time to learn something more mobile,” she laughed. “So, I started to learn the guitar.”